Thirteen (13): February 2015

[hammy]

White chocolate with thirteen luck boosting elements: pomegranate pulp, red mandarin, five-finger grass, stephanotis blossom, star jasmine, pink carnation, white chamomile, irish moss, Jamaican ginger, acorn blossom, a pinch of sweet basil, a drop of peppermint, and strawberry juice.

Fair warning: I've been sick the last week or so, and I'm still a bit sniffly. I hope my impressions aren't too far off the mark, but I wanted to post something because I know folks are always anxious for reviews -- especially when it's a scent like 13 with a limited window of availability.

In the bottle - Alllllll white chocolate. Maybe some pomegranate in the back if I sniff hard.

Wet - Oh, wow. This is so crisp it's almost minty. Something sharp and fresh -- chamomile? ginger? -- is taking the lead, with a beautiful dollop of assorted florals right behind it. Jasmine haters, take note: the star jasmine is not acting up here. The white chocolate note goes a bit plasticky on me (as usual), but it's so short-lived that I don't mind.

Drydown - Ah, now there's some fruit. White chocolate has disappeared almost completely at this point, which leaves room for a delicate sweetness. It's hard to pick out anything in particular. There's the friendliness of the carnation, the recognizable sweet-tart of the pomegranate, and a gentle twist of peppermint that is FAR lighter than you'd expect. It really is just a drop of the peppermint. Even though I can't get much more specific, I can tell you that this is a peppy and invigorating blend. I expect it will be one of those instant-good-mood scents for a lot of people.

Verdict - When I sniffed this in the bottle, I thought it'd go straight to swaps. I'm glad I gave it a shot. It's happy and soothing and uplifting all at once. Exactly what I want from a Friday the 13th blend. Bonus points for the creative "shattered mirror" label art.

[annemathematics]

I'm coming through the end of a little winter cold, but on my skin this baby is mostly a dance of white chocolate, pomegranate and strawberry, with something dark and gritty...almost dirty that my nose can't quite place at the base.

 

I'll retest and edit next week, when hopefully my sense of smell has returned in full force.

[Usagi]

bottle: strawberry-jasmine-white-chocolate-candy-fiesta!

 

wet: really syrupy berry floral cream. It kind of reminds me of a more floral Weeping Branches Moon-- it has that same heady, hard candy, fruit scent.

dry:sweet, fruity, perfumey; just very nice and reminiscent of burgeoning spring things.

 

This has a good deal of lasting power and throw; like walking around in an awesome sweets shop.

[stellamaris]

I have not done a full test of this one, but from what I have it reminds me of another 13, the one with the red label? It's the white chocolate.

When I first opened the bottle I thought, wow! Strawberry! but that might have also been another sharp red fruit, and it burns off into chocolatey goodness. The dry down is very nice.

Another hit for the 13s.

And the bottle art is fierce.

[zankoku_zen]

Tons of white chocolate, some herbiness to it, hits of fruitiness from the strawberry and mandarin and a swirl of jasmine and carnation. This is a very sugary, very edible white chocolate. I am amping the white chocolate like no one's business. Of course, huge throw and huge wear length.

 

PASS.

[Little Bird]

I'm not getting the white chocolate at all. This is a strange mix of sour, yellowy jasmine, cheap fruit flavored candy (the pomegranate going to powdery sweet tarts candies and the strawberry smelling like strawberry bubblegum), and a whiff of peppermint and basil in the drydown. The green, herbal basil and sharp peppermint really throw me off. Sweet fruity-floral with weird herbs and minty toothpaste thrown in...